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THE LINK UP COLLECTIVE

@thelinkuptoronto

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followers

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A monthly dinner series for people building, rebuilding + figuring out what’s next. A digital collective with 120+ builders | Toronto + 🌎

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I love great feedback and Ironically, I ended up listening to everybody.

After the first few dinners, people told me to try different spaces. Make the night longer. Move it to a Friday. Find a room with couches and different areas where people could actually settle in and talk. Give people more time to actually get to know each other. Switch up the food experience and stop thinking The Link Up always has to be a dinner.

So… we did all of it.

Friday night. Private chef. More time. A completely different kind of space and this time, music is part of the experience too. Sadiq will be on the decks throughout the night, low enough for people to actually talk, then we turn it up a little when dinner’s done and let the night become whatever it becomes.

The crazy part is the new space has a private gym, pilates and performance studios, recovery rooms and space to create content, which means we can start doing a lot more than sitting around a table.

I was planning to do KAISO “cut and run” pop-ups in 2027. Might be able to hit goal sooner now that we have this spot.

We’re only a few dinners in, but this is starting to feel like an actual thing now. Not just an event I’m throwing. Something with its own identity, its own people and a lot more room to grow.

10/23 is the next dinner. Capacity per dinner is 30 persons. November, December, and 2027 dinner applications are also open. You can join the digital collective before the dinners too.

A big thank you to our new partners 🙏🏾

@officialcocoskitchen is joining us for the long run, bringing a new story and menu to every dinner, starting with a Trinidadian themed menu for October.

Thank you @tokinesiology for opening the doors and giving The Link Up a new home to grow into. We’re excited to build this together, month by month, event by event.

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Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Apply for an upcoming Link Up dinner or join The Link Up digital collective. Toronto, Canada + global. Link in bio.

♎️ ♏️ 🫶🏾 … bday turn up!

♎️♏️ bday turn up!

video - @mannyrair 👆🏾🤍

S/O @liianjeon.. 👆🏾.. 🔥 taken in Downtown Toronto by @thelinkuptoronto

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10 days ago

Yesterday I talked about how much I appreciate good feedback. This summer, a close friend told me to start with a smaller version of Kaiso and show what it could become. Today, that advice feels very real.

Thanks to @tokinesiology some of the programming I thought would wait until 2027 can start now. We can also explore Kaiso Women earlier than planned. The Link Up audience data says the audience is 51.7% men and 48.3% women, with 35–44 our being our biggest age group. The women showing up deserve a say too. So grateful for all of your early support.

People keep saying your friends aren’t your audience or supporters. I so disagree. Some of the people who helped me get into advertising are still mentoring me, answering my questions and making my ideas bigger.

After my first day at R/GA, I went straight to a friend with my notebook: “This is everything I was told today. What does it mean?” I was scared and didn’t want anyone to know how much I didn’t understand. He told me to get good insights, let them inform the idea, then figure out the execution.

I have strong insights around mental health. The idea is Kaiso. Now we have somewhere to start figuring out the execution. 😭🫂🫶🏾

We only started putting this out in June. Now we have somewhere to grow The Link Up and my baby Kaiso. Thank you to everyone who came to a dinner, made an introduction or believed in us. To @mrsteele1 and @heylissamonet , our first two guest speakers. To team Hong Shing and my boy @clemanfung for giving us the space and encouragement for where this began.

Today, Sadiq and I are grateful, a little overwhelmed, and excited for the people, the food, the laughs and what we get to build together next.

🫶🏾

Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Come to a Link Up dinner in Toronto or join our digital community from wherever you are. Visit www.kaisoshop.com through the link in bio, or message us directly for dinner and membership details. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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9 days ago

15 builders. One room. A shared belief that the right connections can turn ideas into action. That’s The Link Up Toronto, held on August 26th.

Founders, entrepreneurs, creatives, operators and business owners came together in one private dining room to share a meal, celebrate Lissa Monet and talk business, culture, opportunities and what’s next.

We celebrated @heylissamonet and the career she has self-built, while drawing inspiration from everything she has created, accomplished and continues to build.

No long speeches. No awkward networking. Just good people connecting and finding ways to support each other.

The Link Up is a monthly in-person dinner in Toronto and a global digital community built around meaningful connections.

Swipe through to meet the builders in the room.

@the_velvet_strategist @heylissamonet @__justbianca @cjcjhong @michael.petrakis.13 @mynameis.tay @ashleysarahc12 @torontocaptain @sona_sargis @samrooz

📸: @tik_capture @chris3stephenson 🙏🏾

Join 120+ members inside The Link Up digital collective, where people share opportunities, spot culture signals and help each other build. You can also apply for a seat at our September dinner series. Link in bio. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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a month ago

Somebody asks what you’re building and suddenly you’re giving them the 12-minute version, three detours and your plans for 2029. 😆😂

I’ve done it. But at a dinner, people just need a way into the conversation. What are you building? Who is it for? What are you trying to make happen next? That’s your elevator pitch. You can tell them the rest when they ask.

Here’s mine: we’re building Kaiso, and we’re starting to bring movement and recovery programming into a Toronto studio. Right now I’m looking for independent fitness instructors and coaches who can lead sessions with us. If that’s you, DM me. If somebody came to mind, send them this.

if you’re building something, let us know what you’re building in the comments.

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Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Come to a Link Up dinner in Toronto, join our wellness community, or connect with our digital community from wherever you are. Link in bio, or DM us for dinner and membership details.

#TheLinkUpToronto #TorontoNetworking #TorontoFounders #TorontoFitnessInstructors #ElevatorPitch taken in TO Kinesiology by @thelinkuptoronto

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a day ago

You came for dinner. Somehow you’re explaining your entire CV before the corn soup arrives. 😆.

If small talk isn’t your thing, save these conversation starters for your next dinner or networking event. Ask one, listen, and see where it goes. You don’t have to impress the whole table.

The Link Up brings founders, creatives, business owners and people figuring out their next move together in Toronto. Come alone. We’ll introduce you.

Which question would you actually use?

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Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Come to a Link Up dinner in Toronto, join our wellness community, or connect with our digital community from wherever you are. Link in bio, or DM us for dinner and membership details.

#ConversationStarters #TorontoNetworking #TorontoEvents #TorontoCreatives #TheLinkUpToronto taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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2 days ago

Sometimes “I’m tired” means I need sleep. And sometimes it means I’m holding way too much shit in my head right now.

Learning the difference probably starts with not assuming you already know the answer.

Ask one more question.

Mental health, burnout, anxiety, depression, emotional wellness, high-functioning adults, men’s mental health, community.

Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Join The Link Up digital community + dinner series. Toronto, Canada + global. Link in bio. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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11 days ago

Movement, routine and community can carry more than we give them credit for. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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14 days ago

When I say The Link Up is curated by Kaiso, this is what I mean.

Earlier in my marketing career, I worked on influencer dinners and dinners with talent where every detail was considered before anyone entered the room. I loved creating those experiences because the right environment can change the conversation.

I bring that same thinking to The Link Up Toronto.

Before every dinner, I ask what people are building, what they need and who they would benefit from meeting. Then I build the seating around those answers.

The room is never random.

The Link Up is a curated Toronto dinner series for founders, entrepreneurs, creatives, operators and business owners who want to build meaningful professional relationships without the usual awkward networking.

Every seat, introduction and detail has a reason.

That’s what curated by Kaiso means. Intentionality.

If this sounds like your kind of room, join The Link Up digital collective or apply for a seat at an upcoming Toronto dinner. Link in bio. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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a month ago

15 builders. One room. Real conversation.

The Link Up brings together founders, creatives, business leaders and people figuring out what’s next. Our third Toronto dinner is next Saturday, September 26.

Good food. New connections. No forced networking. If you’re building, rebuilding or looking for your next room, come join us.

Toronto networking event, founder community, creative community, business networking, entrepreneur dinner, professional community.

RSVP: www.kaisoshop.com . 🔗 in bio. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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a month ago

October energy: protect it, use it well, and leave room for something good to find you. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @thelinkuptoronto

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16 days ago

One thing I really like about the ADHD conversation online right now is the confidence.

People with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions are explaining what life actually feels like in their own words, instead of letting everyone else define the experience for them. That matters. Lived experience changes the language. And when the language changes, stigma starts to move too.

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the way your brain works?

Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Join The Link Up digital collective or apply for a seat at our dinner series. Toronto, Canada + global. Link in bio. by @thelinkuptoronto

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17 days ago

Somewhere along the way, movement stopped being play and became something we had to schedule, track and optimize.

But basketball, volleyball, tennis, dance, running around with your friends… that was fitness too. It was movement, community, stress relief and wellness before most of us ever used those words.

I think adult fitness is moving back in that direction. Less punishment. More play. More social connection. More reasons to actually want to move.

What did you play growing up that you’d genuinely start again now?

Building, rebuilding or figuring out what’s next? Join The Link Up digital collective or apply for a seat at our dinner series. Toronto, Canada + global. Link in bio. by @thelinkuptoronto

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18 days ago